Emotional stress is what everyone thinks of when “stress” is mentioned, but stress comes in many different forms. It can be caused by too much exercise, lack of sleep, a fight with a boyfriend, or eating too many sweets. The adrenal glands do not differentiate between any of these stressors. Whether it’s excessive coffee consumption or a final exam, the adrenal glands react the same way: by calling on the adrenal glands to secrete hormones.
Our adrenal glands actually secrete nearly 50 hormones, but we’re most interested in hormones called adrenaline, DHEA, and cortisol. These hormones work to control our body’s reaction to stress by having a anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. These adrenal hormones are put to work when there is swelling and inflammation, threat of mental or physical danger, infection, and in response to the presence of an autoimmune condition. But the adrenal glands have their limits. They run out of steam and produce less and less of their hormones as the body repeatedly calls on them to help deal with chronic issues like thyroid conditions.
When the adrenal glands can’t keep up, the effects can be far-reaching. Some symptoms and signs of adrenal fatigue are:
• allergies
• Asthma
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune disorders
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Cravings for salty or sweet foods
• Recurring cough, colds, flu
• Tired
• Confusion, poor memory
• Hypoglycemia
• Insomnia
• Low sex drive
• Blurry vision
• Headaches
• Dependence on coffee or energy drinks
• Feeling bloated
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Dizziness (positional: going from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting)
• Weight gain
thyroid function It is intimately related to our adrenal health. Part of any thyroid treatment plan should include support of the adrenal glands for the following 5 reasons:
- Adrenal fatigue causes thyroid receptor cells to lose their sensitivity to thyroid hormones.
- Adrenal fatigue can decrease the conversion of thyroid hormones T4 to T3
- Adrenal fatigue weakens the immune system barriers in the intestines, lungs, and blood-brain barrier
- Adrenal fatigue inhibits the uptake of thyroid hormone into cells
- Adrenal fatigue disrupts the exchange between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland with the thyroid gland.
What can you do to help adrenal fatigue?
Here are some “things to do” that can help you avoid or help adrenal fatigue. Start getting better control of your blood sugar levels by:
- Eat a high-protein breakfast within an hour of waking up.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and energy drinks.
- Keep low-glycemic index snacks nearby. We recommend yogurt, dried fruit, raw vegetables, olives, pickles, and hard-boiled eggs. Eat something every 2-3 hours whether you are hungry or not.
- avoid sweets
- Eat a diet free of food allergens
Exercise and the adrenal glands
Our adrenal glands need the right kind of exercise. It is crucial for lowering high cortisol levels. Sports that require short, repeated bursts of energy, such as weightlifting, burn sugar and can actually further stress your adrenal glands.
The type of exercise that burns fat is called aerobic exercise. Examples of aerobic exercise are walking, long, slow runs, rowing, and non-competitive cycling. Burning fat with these exercises can lower cortisol levels.
The health of the adrenal glands is of paramount importance in any thyroid treatment plan. Evaluation of the adrenal glands is part of a functional medicine thyroid evaluation.